Cairns taxidermist makes waves in USA with Glacier 51 toothfish
A Cairns fish taxidermist is making waves in the US where two of his Patagonian toothfish mounts, based on fish specifically chosen for Glacier 51 toothfish branding, have earned a swell of support.
After three decades in taxidermy, Steven Mathews from Australian Fish Mounts in Cairns North has begun mounting the bizarre fish that linger in the depths of Antarctic waters.
In recent months, a deal with Austral Fisheries has helped two of his toothfish creations wind up in America. One was a gift to a major seafood authority in New York, Mark Foods. The second was raffled in Boston to raise awareness of the sustainability of the fish – which were heavily poached during the 1990s and early 2000s – at the largest seafood expo in the world, Seafood Expo North America.
The toothfish represents just one of the 1200 fish moulds used by Mr Mathews, “all of which have a story” – such as the great white shark made for golfer Greg Norman. “But these fish are a bit different, living … where most fish would snap freeze,” he said. “Plus they’re very popular in the US, where they’ll fetch about $80-120 a kilo for fillets, so I can see how my work has generated a bit of interest.”
-from CairnsPost